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Mimi (2021)
A cute kid and an endearing cast carry Utekar's brain'child'
A highly endearing tale of a young girl who starts to feel the repercussions and challenges of surrogacy. There was a lot of hype around this film when the promotions and trailer released, and rightly so. There is definitely a case which can be made for people not enjoying the film as much as it should, since there was a couple of quirky comedic moments in the trailer, and not much more here. As we progress further into the second half the emotional quotient holds even stronger. Here, I argue where the film is stronger. The shocking questions asked of the characters and their mental battles of morality and good futures are played off amazingly, if not slightly under the magic of A. R Rahman's compositions. The music may be understated for a film of this scale, but the beautiful accompaniments show the direction in which the director wishes to further his filmmaking essence, compared to his previous fully commercial-oriented venture. This is definitely a worthy follow up to Luka Chuppi, not in the comedic space, but the messaging and true filmmaking. Don't get me wrong, the comedic moments that the supporting cast provide are nothing short of hilarious, albeit few. However, the day is still to come where Bollywood strays away from the repetitive Hindu-Muslim confusions for humorous moments - think to Aparshakti Khurrana's role in Luka Chuppi, and even Pati Patni Aur Woh. This type of humour needs a major facelift, and fast. It doesn't detract from the experience though. I can wholeheartedly say this is one of Kriti Sanon's most accomplished performances, and for that alone it needs to be watched. If not for that, then at least for Pankaj Tripathi - the old and reliable!
Wildfire (2020)
Well-acted delicate film about trauma and so much more...
My first viewing experience of Nika McGuigan on screen and eventually finding out this was her last touched me. A poignant and delicate story about a unearthed sibling relationship and personal conflicts is given substantial emphasis by the attentive and beautiful direction. Well done to Cathy Brady and the whole team for this intricate wonder, and rest in peace Nika...
Rampage (2018)
Epicness
I found this film surprisingly amazing! Everything was blended in so nicely: the CGI, the music, and amidst all of it, the magnanimous Dwayne Johnson. The film was very exciting and gripping. For solid entertainment, go to cinemas now
Raid (2018)
A must watch entertainer
Raid could possibly be the best income-tax based film out there in world cinema at the moment and carries the world entertainment on its head. It stars Ajay Devgn and Saurabh Shukla in main roles and is directed by the wonderful Raj Kumar Gupta (Aamir, No One Killed Jessica, Ghanchakkar).
STORY: Honest Income-Tax officer Amay Patnaik (Ajay) is transferred for the 49th time in his career to Lucknow along with his wife (Ileana) where he gets a tip while settling down. He is given lots of information and also does his own investigation. Still unsure whether the information is correct, he conducts a raid from the info, leading him into the household of the notorious Tauji, the most powerful man in Lucknow. The film is based on one of the biggest raids in India. The plot contains lots of twists, which creates a ton of suspenseful moments throughout the film making this a gripping watch.
CAST: I can't hesitate in saying that this is one of Ajay Devgn's best performances till date. Ajay's acting looks effortless and amazing on screen, making him one of my favourite actors in Bollywood. Saurabh Shukla is also fantastic and thee two actors cannot be compared. Ileana D'Cruz Iooks pretty but doesn't really have much to do. But in whatever she has been given, it is completed very nicely. All the supporting cast members carry very strong performances as well and there is not one complaint with the casting.
TECHNICAL: The direction is absolutely amazing from Gupta and feels seamless when watching the movie. Writing is one of the films biggest plus points and is done in such a way that the audience will never be given a chance to feel bored. The dialogues given to Devgn and Shukla and punchy and powerful and give the film strength. Ritesh Shah has written an impressive script and a gripping screenplay which makes this film the success it is. The editing is a job well done and at a runtime of 120 mins, the film never feels prolonged and the interest does not get lost midway.
MUSIC: To be honest, I loved the soundtrack. The songs are soulful and full of heart. Sanu Ek Pal Chain is a slow paced remake sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and is nice to the ears. Nit Khair Manga is a tad faster, also sung by Khan, and is a bit too heavy on the Punjabi lyrics, and while it also misses out on that trademark essence from Rahat, it's still not a bad listen. Black by Sukhwinder Singh acts as the title track if the film and with its punchy bass and strong vocals, it is undoubtedly one of the strongest in the album. Jhuk Na Paunga is my favourite, sung by the soothing Papon and just has a good feel to it, and is a song that perfectly suits Ajay's character in the film.
To conclude, this film contains all the suspense, tension, action, and moments that a film in this genre should have. This film is one of the best watches of 2018 so far, and can be watched multiple times. But the best effect is in the cinema. Hats off to the entire team of Raid, but especially Raj Kumar Gupta. Well done
Baaghi 2 (2018)
A decent action-thiller, but only decent?
Baaghi 2 is directed by Ahmed Khan, who is also the action designer of this film, which stars the 'unstoppable' Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani, as well as many stellar supporting cast members.
STORY: Ronny, a soldier in Kashmir is called upon by his ex-lover Neha, four years after they fell apart. He is pleaded by her to find her missing daughter Rhea, after she was taken away in a kidnapping, leaving Neha injured in the act. Ronny tries to find Rhea, and many questions appear during the quest, even to the point where it is doubted upon that Rhea exists! Ronny faces many obstacles and is placed upon many higher powers, resulting in a massive fight against them, for his ex-love.
CAST: Tiger Shroff has definitely made improvements in his acting and it shocks me to say that he is nice to see on the big screen, as he is made for these sorts of action films. The stunts are demanding and to see him pull them off flawlessly shows us that he is one of the fittest actors in the industry. I can actually see his emotions in this film. Disha Patani is also good in her role and her and Tiger's chemistry is quite nice, but have to say, both could have worked harder, and their chemistry could have minor improvements. Deepak Dobriyal is a natural, but Randeep Hooda is the best supporting cast member, with his great comic timing and amazing screen presence. Manoj Bajpayee is good as always, and I didn't expect Prateik Babbar to be doing his sort of role, which he masters. All others are good as well, including Darshan Kumar.
TECHNICAL: The direction by Ahmed Khan is a good job and the action scenes are extravagant. The writing on the whole could have definitely been better, but the dialogues are very punchy and suit a film like this and an action hero like Tiger. The screenplay is okay. The film goes back and forth in time and plays with logic too frequently, to the point where some audience members are lost in confusion from the plot itself. The film is not all action (despite primarily being action packed) and carries a nice story with plentiful suspense which hits a striking moment at the interval, and a very dramatic one too. Editing is also not too bad either, keeping the runtime just short enough that the audience do not feel it drags for too long, but the film can feel dragged on at times
MUSIC: Two of the films songs were strict remakes that were strictly not neccesary at all. Although Mundiyan is catchy, it is not possible to get it to standards of the original, and even gets irritating after a while. Ek Do Teen is a face-palm visually, but sounds okay listening casually, owing to the vocals of Shreya Goshal. Lo Safar is a song full of soul, by Jubin Nautiyal, who lends his voice to make it sound good. O Saathi, however, is probably the best song in the album, and it is upsetting that Atif Aslam couldn't be credited. The other songs are at par.
Altogether, Baaghi 2 is a treat for the masses and will catch the audience's eyes with Tiger's breathtaking action sequences, with the added delight of story, suspense and emotion, but all that's there to ask is, it's decent, but why only decent? This film definitely could have been better in pretty much every single aspect, but the quality is good enough to take a one time trip to the cinema for the big screen
Peter Rabbit (2018)
Outstanding cinema
After the likes of Annie by director Will Gluck, we are brought this beautiful modern spin-off from the tales of acclaimed author Beatrix Potter, called Peter Rabbit.
This is one of the best animation/live-action movies I've seen and there should be no enhancements wanted for this movie (except for wanting it to be longer!) The jokes and humour are good and appreciated, and the whole thing is a laugh riot. There are plenty humorous moments. I found my whole theatre laughing throughout and not one person came out of the film without a smile on their face. The blend of CGI and real life is stunning, and visually a treat for the eyes. The rabbits look cute and realistic.
The voice acting is splendid by Elizabeth Debicki (Mopsy), Margot Robbie (Flopsy), and especially Daisy Ridley (Cottontail), as well as Colin Moody (Benjamin). Live-action acting from Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson is a treat to watch. And of course, James Corden is fantastic. There are some reviews that criticize the film and especially Peter Rabbit's voice. But do not put this to heart and let this stop you from watching this delight.
The thing that people need to realise is that this film is a more contemporary take on the books of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, and because of that, it is easier to relate to the characters' emotions and personality in the modern day, even if some kids, and even adults aren't familiar with Beatrix Potter's books. This film's initial style is quite different to the attitude of the books, but as the story goes on and develops, you will be walking out of the theatre thinking that this marvelous film could not have been any closer to the works of Potter, and in fact, she would have been very impressed with this take on her film. James Corden in fact is the only person that could have given Peter Rabbit that voice to shape his character and personality for the particular take on the books, and he masters it perfectly. For this film, James Corden was the best choice for Peter Rabbit. He is the only person who could make anyone attached to the character of Peter without reading the books, and that exactly is why this film is special. This film would not work without that contemporary feel and execution.
Right from the start, this film is a pleasure for adults and kids alike, and not just a one-time watch. Don't let others spoil the experience for you. Head to cinemas now!
Aiyaary (2018)
An admirable attempt of a gripping suspense thriller
This film is another showpiece from Neeraj Pandey, who brought masterpieces like A Wednesday, Special 26, and Baby, which all met with positive responses, and critical acclaim. Aiyaary is not an complete action film at all, but rather a suspenseful espionage thriller, and a damn good one at that too (for those who can appreciate).
STORY: A colonel, Abhay Singh and his protégé, Major Jai Bakshi have a lasting relationship in the Indian Army and another unit. During surveillance when Jai, however, discovers the real inside to the country's system, he goes astray, carrying a secret which could bring down the government. Abhay only has a limited amount of time to catch the rogue agent and bring him back, before it's too late...
DIRECTION/WRITING: The writing overall is ok, but at times is very clumsy. The story is good, but the writing does spoil it a bit. The film starts off quite slow with the usual Neeraj trademark - a scattered storyline, and usually with his other films everything comes to light very quickly. However with this film it takes longer than normal to make sense of what's happening, and eats up half of the first half of the film. Astonishingly it takes even longer than that to establish some of the small but important characters. Pandey takes the best of the writing and creates a gripping thriller and a rather interesting cat and mouse chase. The film keeps you gripped in your seats, and some scenes are perfectly executed for this. But Neeraj couldn't save a few clumsily written scenes, with which the film can then test your patience to some extent. A few people might find themselves completely bewildered by the whole story and incomplete arcs, and maybe give bad word-of-mouth, but the majority will be content with the running and those who can appreciate will be ones most enjoying this film.
CAST: Siddarth Malhotra is a complete natural for his role and I could not think of any other actor who could act Jai Bakshi better. Manoj Bajpayee puts the most effort into his role, and makes it look effortless. He aces this role with ease, and looks great while doing it. Rakul Preet Singh is ok but wasn't really necessary for this film. Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah have minimal roles but act them very well. The casting is quite good and this film could be seen just for everyone's performances alone.
EDITING: Editing is one of this film's biggest cons. The film just has not been edited well at all. The film's length at 157 minutes could have been trimmed down a lot, especially around the start region. The film, however, is very gripping, and it goes by quickly, which is good for this.
MUSIC: There are only three songs to the album, but only one is put into the film, Lae Dooba, which is sung well by Sunidhi Chauhan. Yaad Hai and Shuru Kar fail to impress, and they picked the best out of the lot for the film. The songs do not interrupt the flowing narrative, which lets the movie go on and keeps the grip.
DIALOGUES: There are not many, but some clap-worthy dialogues worth listening to in the film.
Despite its let-downs, Aiyaary is the designated espionage thriller for Bollywood full of suspense and some action, which keeps the audience in their seat for more. Neeraj Pandey has done a great job to overcome its flaws. The film is definitely not one of the best of Neeraj's, but it is one to watch. There might be some incompleted parts, but like said earlier, "It's for the people who can appreciate."
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
Imaginative and a fun entertainer for everyone!
The LEGO Batman Movie is the second installment of the smash-hit blockbuster, The LEGO Movie. Like its trailers, it promises to deliver fun and entertaining action, comedy and drama for everyone.
STORY: Gotham City is controlled by Batman and his 'saving the day' from the Joker and his crew. This is until a new officer pleads the idea of the police and Batman joining hands together in work. A battle between himself ad his ego starts and he must learn to work as a team to avoid inevitable danger to Gotham City.
The film starts intensely and maintains its course throughout the movie. There are many funny moments that get the whole audience laughing. It is thoroughly entertaining throughout! Unlike the LEGO Movie, this is also for adults, as the movie contains hidden references that will certainly get you chuckling. In my opinion, this is a great Batman movie. One thing I will say is that there is a lot of action going on in most of the scenes, but whatever! I'm sure everyone likes a bit of action.
One thing I do not get though is that Warner Bros have randomly thrown it many DC characters in the movie without any sole purpose of them being in it. However they won't get marked down for this. The reason this DOES get marked down one mark is because it doesn't quite meet the same standards as the first film and isn't able to match up with the LEGO Movie compared to its comedy and epicness. I would still recommend this movie.
To conclude, GO WATCH THIS FILM if you need time or space to fill up, or if you need some entertainment in your life.
Jolly LLB 2 (2017)
An intense story with laugh-out moments
Jolly LL.B 2 is a sequel that promises riveting courtroom drama and a few moment that will make you either smile or laugh, and are commendable. There are some references to the first film as well. This review will cover most aspects of this movie.
CAST/ACTING: Akshay Kumar as Jolly has done a marvelous job. He fits into the role and his style of comedy and action gives the audience a broader smile. Huma Qureshi and Annu Kapoor have both equally topped their previous performances. A considerable mention needs to go towards Sayani Gupta as a rising and upcoming star. Her performance is brilliant as a pregnant justice-seeking woman. Saurabh Shukla reprises his role as a quirky judge, but even quirkier. Everyone else does a good job. I think that Kumud Mishra does fall behind a bit as Suryaveer Singh but it isn't too evident.
DIRECTION: Subhash Kapoor has outperformed himself from the first film, Jolly LL.B. He has tried to make this different from the first film and focuses more on the action scenes and intensity of this. This is done well. The comedic moments are good, but don't last throughout the duration of the movie.
WRITING: Amazing job by Subhash Kapoor and aimed at everyone!
MUSIC: Nothing too special. 'Go Pagal' is your typical party song set in Holi with a little twist. 'Bawara Mann' and 'O Re Rangreza' are nice, soulful songs. 'Jolly Good Fellow' is good and loud.
DIALOGUES: The dialogues are spot on. They carry meaningful and funny messages, as the ones in the trailer. Some dialogues are laughable at but if you're expecting a high-end dialogue-dependent comedy like 'Housefull 3', then you're mistaken.
The first half is very well entertaining and carries all the comedic moments you wait for, so it's not a long wait. The second half focuses on the intensity of the courtroom, although on of the most funniest moments is hidden there.
Althogether, Jolly LL.B 2 is an entertainer, but however, when it tries to compete for comedy against its predecessor, then Jolly LL.B 2 falls behind against Jolly LL.B. Nevertheless, I would encourage you to go and watch this film for some solid entertainment.